"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
I know for sure his heart is here with me
Though I wish him back, I know he cannot see
My hands trembling, I know he hears me sing
I light this candle and watch it throw
Tears on my pillow
And if there is a Christ, he'll come tonight
To pray for Spanish eyes
And if I have nothing left to show
Tears on my pillow
What kind of life is this if God exists
Then help me pray for Spanish eyes
He had to fight like all the rest
In the barrio all the streets are paved with fear
I don't understand; at least he was a man
I light this candle and watch it throw
Tears on my pillow
And if there is a Christ, he'll come tonight
To pray for Spanish eyes
And if I have nothing left to show
Tears on my pillow
What kind of life is this if God exists
Then help me pray for Spanish eyes
How many lives will they have to take?
How much heartache?
How many suns will they have to burn?
Spanish eyes
When will they ever learn?
You were not the Maravilla in our minds
We were proud to fight but we cannot win this blind
Stand your guns against the wall
Who's next in line to fall
I light this candle and watch it throw
Tears on my pillow
And if there is a Christ, he'll come tonight
To pray for Spanish eyes
And if I have nothing left to show
Tears on my pillow
What kind of life is this if God exists
Then help me pray for Spanish eyes
How many lives will they have to take?
How much heartache?
How many suns will they have to burn?
Spanish eyes
When will they ever learn?
Though I wish him back, I know he cannot see
My hands trembling, I know he hears me sing
I light this candle and watch it throw
Tears on my pillow
And if there is a Christ, he'll come tonight
To pray for Spanish eyes
And if I have nothing left to show
Tears on my pillow
What kind of life is this if God exists
Then help me pray for Spanish eyes
He had to fight like all the rest
In the barrio all the streets are paved with fear
I don't understand; at least he was a man
I light this candle and watch it throw
Tears on my pillow
And if there is a Christ, he'll come tonight
To pray for Spanish eyes
And if I have nothing left to show
Tears on my pillow
What kind of life is this if God exists
Then help me pray for Spanish eyes
How many lives will they have to take?
How much heartache?
How many suns will they have to burn?
Spanish eyes
When will they ever learn?
You were not the Maravilla in our minds
We were proud to fight but we cannot win this blind
Stand your guns against the wall
Who's next in line to fall
I light this candle and watch it throw
Tears on my pillow
And if there is a Christ, he'll come tonight
To pray for Spanish eyes
And if I have nothing left to show
Tears on my pillow
What kind of life is this if God exists
Then help me pray for Spanish eyes
How many lives will they have to take?
How much heartache?
How many suns will they have to burn?
Spanish eyes
When will they ever learn?
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
Spanish Eyes Lyrics as written by Madonna Ciccone Patrick Leonard
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of Madonna's saddest and bravest ballads, songs and performances, that's for sure. Spanish Eyes is about a prisoner of an undeclared, unexplained and unfathomable war right in her own neighborhood on the California streets of Hollywood where she live at the time she wrote and recorded Like a Prayer. Evita Prelude #3 right behind La Isla Bonita and Who's That Girl?, this sad Ciccone concerto piece is much slower, somber and sadder with Madonna's beautiful Evita/W.E. voice crying Sad and Wet Tears streaming down her Detroit face. Madonna sings, cries and writes "I know his heart is here with me. I wish he would come back. Because he can't see my hands are trembling. However, I know he hears me sing as I cry. He fought like all the rest. The barrio streets are paved with fear. I don't understand. He was a man and my Best Friend and now he's Gone! Why did they take his life? I am filled with Sadness and Heartache-and I am All Still Wet and in Tears. His beautiful Spanish Eyes still mean everything to me! I'm All Still Wet! When will they learn to stop the violence? The California police are not so marvelous in our minds! I'm proud to fight bur I will not win blind! Stand the guns against the wall! Who's next to die for a mistake? For my special lost friend-Your tears of sadness won't let me forget you! Your tears of sadness I'll never forget! I light this beautiful candle and I I watch it throw Wet Tears on my Pillow. If I say a Christian Prayer to Jesus Christ, He'll come tonight to Pray for my Spanish Eyes. Even if I Have Nothing left to show but my Sad and Wet Tears on my pillow I ask a question: What kind of life is this?-if God exists? Then help me to Pray for Spanish Eyes!" Then as if to cry all alone, Madonna has a terrible flashback-her two ex-husbands/soulmates/loves she lost-Sean Penn and Guy Ritchie. All alone sad and crying-is it a dream or a nightmare for Madonna? No one knows except her. That's why I think Spanish Eyes is a beautiful Madonna Song, one of her best. Good job Evita Madge!
This is really well thought out but you made all this up by assumptions at the lyrics. The song is about AIDS and the prejudice against those suffering and dying at the time in the 80's. Madonna had lost a handful of friends to AIDS but I am guessing this song is written for her friend Martin Burgoyne.